Baby, strapped in stroller, falls into retention pond

First responders rescued an approximately 9-month-old baby strapped in a stroller from a retention pond Monday afternoon in a West Chester Township subdivision.

West Chester Township spokeswoman Barbara Wilson said the stroller rolled down an embankment of a basin into the water with the child. The stroller and child were in the water for about 30 minutes. Wilson said the stroller was completely submerged. The baby's gender isn't known.

"They were doing rescue breathing when they pulled him out," she said.

Wilson said she didn't "think it was the parents exactly. I think it was grandparents and some other children were all walking together and so it's unclear if they turned their back," she said.

The West Chester Fire Department removed the child from the water. Assistant Fire Chief Mike Mays said the child was about 15 feet out from land and 10 feet below the surface when responders arrived.

"The child was unresponsive. A lot of times cold water, it can be difficult to find a pulse, and so forth. I couldn't actually tell you whether a pulse was present or not. I do know they were administering CPR and the child did have fluid that she had taken in," said Mays.

The child was transported to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's Liberty Campus. From there, a medical helicopter was going to take the child to Cincinnati Children's main campus in Avondale.

The child's condition is not known at this time.

The child was pulled out at 2:23 p.m. The incident was reported as a drowning at about 1:55 p.m. on a Windy Harbor Way retention basin. The street is part of the Villages of Providence subdivision near Endeavor Elementary School and Ohio 747.